Records Tie Bribes To Former Official

TAMPA — Government records surrendered to defense attorneys in the public corruption case involving Hillsborough County Commission actions reveal former Commissioner Charles F. Bean III received $13,250 from 13 bribes.

Bean was named as having received a bribe when a massive federal indictment was returned last May, but was not indicted.

Records made public Tuesday disclosed Bean agreed to plead guilty to one racketeering-related count.

The plea bargain agreement was reached in April and Bean agreed to testify for the prosecution if called during the public corruption trials of nearly two dozen people, including three former commissioners, two of whom already are in federal prison on prior bribery convictions.

Bean is the second former commissioner to negotiate a plea bargain agreement in the three-year-old grand jury investigation.

Jerry Merle Bowmer negotiated a plea agreement in the earlier case and will testify if called in the current case, which is to go to trial Feb. 3.